Operation: ADULT- Adolescent Denying Ultimate Life Transition
by thehugbandit
Summary: Ava Valentine, or Numbuh 364, is about to turn 13, and being a teen means losing her best friends in the world. She doesn't know how to cope or talk to anyone about it. It's the biggest issue in her life until an old friend finds her and warns her of a much more sinister plot.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I tugged at the knot in my scarf, loosening it around my neck enough for me to feel the sharpness of winter tickling my flesh. My body felt heavy, discouraged. The numbness of the night was like a lead weight on my back, forcing me to slouch further into a slump as I dragged me feet across the pavement. The thought of me aging- becoming a teen- was horrifying. How many days with my friends did I have left before they'd wipe my memories of them? How many laughs? How many smiles? And then they'd all be forgotten. I- I didn't want to lose them. It wasn't fair!

"Hey, kid." I froze at the sound of a much too familiar voice. My stomach tied itself into tight knots. I closed my eyes and listened to the soft crunch of feet on snow. _Crunch...crunch...crunch..._ And then nothing. I could feel the warmth of a body standing too close to me. Hovering over me. I held my breath.

"Chad?" I guessed. He didn't respond, but I could feel the air from his lungs brushing against my cheeks. A smooth smile slipped across my face. I shook my head. "What do you want from me, sunshine? Here to mock me again?"

"Mais, au contraire," he hummed rocking back on his heels, "I come baring gifts."

My eyes flew open, I whipped my head back to him still holding my breath. But he was gone, and in his place a small yellow gift. My knees buckled. I collapsed. With shaky hands, I reached out to touch the note attached to the present: _"Don't trust Numbuh 1"_ it read _"we don't have much time"_.

My lungs were exploding. I had to breathe! But I didn't want to. I wanted to stay frozen into. Lightly covered in a dust of snow. I didn't know how to show my face to my team. I didn't know if I could trust Chad, not anymore. I did't understand the note, at least not the first part. None of it was making any sense at all! Nothing was making me want to move. I just wanted to give up.

A loud rumbling exploded through the sky. I snapped my head up, waiting for something- anything. A sign. A streak of gold smoke zipped across the horizon, followed closely by a faded gray glimmer. Lights fired back and forth. My eyes widened in horror, they were fighting. Nigel Uno and Chad Dickson. I recognized their groggy silhouettes soaring and diving through the sky. But why was there no backup? Why were they alone?

"Nigel, this is insane!" Chad screamed. "You have to stop this! NOW!"

"And let adults continue to rule the planet? Ha! You're even more far gone than I though, filthy teen."

It was at that point I realized Chad wasn't fighting back. Not like Nigel. Nigel was shooting to kill. Chad was shooting to distract. I watched in slow motion as Nigel fired off another round at Chad and shot him straight out of the sky. But as he was falling, Nigel swooped in and caught him, then quickly flew off without a trace.

Was I really shaking? Why couldn't I move? Now that I wanted to, my body wouldn't let me. It was silently protesting. In denial. In shock. What did all of this mean? Who could I trust? Where would I go? What would my team think? I had to tell them. I had to.


	2. KND SECTOR R OPERATIVES

**THE FOLLOWING FILE IS FOR KND HEADQUARTERS ONLY...**

 **...**

 **KND SECTOR R...**

 **...**

 **WARNING...**

 **...**

 **THIS FILE WILL SELF DESTRUCT...**

 **...**

Name: Ava Valentine

Numah: 364

Role: Nurse/Cheerleader

Age: 12

Birthday: February 14

Likes: food, music, kindness, animals, the outdoors, people (even adults), scary movies

Dislikes: injustice, bullies, death, the color pink, porcelain (including toilets)

Personality: Ava is a highly intelligent and mature young adult. She loves people, even adults, and goes out of her way to help them. She's a bit shy, and would rather let others have the spotlight, but when it comes to the people she cares about the most her passion is unmatched. By all means, she is the soft-spoken glue that holds her team together. Cheering and encouraging them in the background.

Background: Ava is the middle child of Alex and Francine Valentine. She grew up in a stable home until she was 5, when her father decided to take off with a much younger woman. She never heard from the man again, but hears she has three brothers now. She was bullied for a while for consulting homeless people about her problems, but eventually ran into a kid that was kind her. Chad. Chad and Ava became great friends and he urged her to join KND. After she did, things got a lot better. She liked the justice and structure she had, and feels indebted to Chad now.

Looks: Ava is part Spanish, French, and German. Her skin is very dark, but she has some softer features. Her nose is a slender slope rounded at the tip. Her lips are oddly shaped, her bottom one pouts out significantly more than her top, and her eyes are large and a deep olive green. Her hair is a long and wavy brown with natural streaks of golden brow, but she hates it so is constantly wearing it up in a sloppy bun. Though she's slender, her body is starting to go through puberty and she's started developing some, er, breasts which she also hates, so wears baggy shirts/dresses, tights, and combat boots.

Brief interaction: "Yeah, tell me what you want what you really really want?" Ava sang horribly off key into her hair brush. Lydia, Ava's much younger sister leaped from one bed to the other singing back into her brush.

"I'll tell you what I want what I really really want!"

"If you wanna be my lover!" Casey piped in flinging the door wide open. "You gotta get with my friends!"

"Ah, yeah!" Ava grinned at her teenage sister. "Casey is in the house!"

"That's right, baby." Casey smiled back. Lydia squirmed off the bed and raced towards her big sister. Ava flopped on her back kicking her feet into the air.

"I'm going to be a teen!" She complained. "What is life!"

"Being a teen isn't so bad, you get to drive." Casey said twirling her keys on her finger. "You'll survive."

Name: Lucy Blank (Last name unknown)

Numbuh: 666

Role: Leader

Age: 11

Birthday: February 16th

Likes: weapons, ninjas, books, explosions, symmetry, water

Dislikes: bullies, injustice, anything that is not symmetrical, sugar

Personality: Lucy is a highly intelligent, government trained girl. She is so governmental bred that insults, metaphors, and jokes go over her head and leave her confused. Lucy does enjoy being the leader of a squad because she is cocky due to the fact that she has had the most training out of all. She has no idea how to behave around others and can be quite blunt. Lucy hates going to school because she has to interact with others. Very introverted. She will not share her ideas to others.

Background: At the age of 2, Lucy's parents both died. Her parents were both government agents; number 006 and 066. Lucy had a remarkable high IQ for her age, allowing her brain to think like a six year old does rather than a two year old. The government knew that Lucy had witnessed all the operations of her parents, however instead of killing her, the government decided to train her. Lucy grew up in a strict training environment with intense exercise, very little sleep, and food she had to make herself. Her biggest area of expertise is demolitions, fire most of all, daring her the name Devils Daughter as a result of her merciless behavior and number being 666 (she didn't know what that meant because she just decided to combine the numbers of her parents) at age 9, she was transferred to KND and has been operating there ever since.

Looks: A tall, lanky young girl with blonde hair cut to her midneck and pale skin. Her eyes a pale blue. She is perfectly symmetrical, everything from her upwards almond eyes to her breasts which have begun to develop. Her attire usually is a black t-shirt with washed out jeans and black sneakers. Her features are sharp with her lips being full and plump.

Brief interaction: "...Shut up," Lucy grabbed ahold of their arm and flipped them over her shoulder, placing her knee into their chest and giving a emotionless smile, "Now, don't question me again. 'Kay, love?"

Name: Logan Luis

Numbuh: 287

Role: Organizer/Retired Leader

Age: 12

Birthday: August 8

Likes: Being active, Ava, leading, helping, structure

Dislikes: Lazy people, bullies, adults

Personality: Encouraging, confident, naturally talented. Logan is a born leader, but would rather sit back and silently manipulate the team. He's sensitive and thoughtful, always putting others needs above his own. He and Ava are extremely close. He's the warm fire, and she's the cool water. They balance well. Logan can sometimes expect too much from people and depends heavily on Ava to keep him in check.

Background: Logan is the oldest of three boys raised entirely by a single father. At the age of four, Logan's mother passed away and his father, who was rarely home, had to take another job leaving Logan to be the motherly figure his younger brothers never had. At age nine, his father decided to move the family in with their grandparents and Logan took it as the opportunity to join the Kid's Next Door. KND were impressed by his natural leading talents and gave him a team of his own. There, he met Ava and was instantly captured by her kindness, innocence, and overall enthusiasm for life. She showed him the strength in letting other's lead, and a few years later, he stepped back letting an outsider take over the team (Lucy). Now, getting closer to his birthday, Logan is struggling with becoming a teen but doesn't know how to tell his best friend.

Looks: Logan has jet-black hair and slate blue eyes. He's tall for his age, making him look a lot older than he is. Often times Lucy and the team use this to their advantage, letting teen girls swoon over him as a distraction for the rest of the team to get the job done. That said, Logan is exceptionally handsome. Being part German and Swedish, he has a long, chiseled jawline and broad shoulders. His nose is long and slender, and his lips full. Logan wears a faded vintage band tee and an unbuttoned flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, skinny jeans, and black converses. He keeps his thick black hair covered up with a gray beanie.

Interaction: Logan leaned coolly against the base of the tree house watching Jimmy and Lucy get into another one of their famous battles. He half smirked to himself, wondering if it'd be worth his time to step in and end it, then ultimately decided against it. He was leaving soon. In less than a year he'd be decommissioned along with Ava, so if the two wanted to continue working together, they needed to figure this out.

"Did Jimmy get into the candy stash again?" Ava asked stepping into view. A slow burn rushed to his cheeks, and he couldn't quite meet her gaze. Ava didn't seem to notice, she just smiled and greeted him with a hug.

"They'll work it out." Logan noted. "They always do."

Name: Jimmy Ferguson

Numbuh: 962

Role: Electronics

Age: 9

Birthday: November 3

Likes: root beer, candy, sweets, the color black, video games

Dislikes: cute things, girlie things, unreasonable people

Personality: Jimmy has a very addictive personality. He is easily hooked on things and becomes obsessed with them to the point of destruction. Lucy is quick to correct him wanting her team to be "as strong as possible" so forbids Jimmy to do the things he enjoys doing. Like drinking root beer and eating candy. Jimmy is extremely gifted when it comes to technology, and is deemed the best in all of KND, ever. He's a fast learner, but is hot-headed and fueled entirely by his emotions. Because he looks up to former leader, Logan, he has a hard time respecting Lucy and the two often butt heads.

Background: Jimmy is the youngest of five and often times overlooked by his brain dead parents. He built his first computer when he was two, and has since gone on to work with every kind of computer and master them effortlessly. His parents and siblings have no idea how smart he is.

Looks: Jimmy is half African-American and half Irish. Because of this, he has the most beautiful mocha colored skin and deep gray eyes. He has plump lips and a round nose. He's short, but stalky, and is constantly seen with oversized headphones, and has shoulderlength dreads. He wears a simple white shirt and a letterman jacket, torn up jeans, and white sneakers.

Interaction: "J-j-just one more bite!" Jimmy pleaded, scratching frantically at his skin. "One more and I'm done!"

"That's not how this works." Lucy's voice was clean of any emotion. Jimmy's heart was beating too fast for him to keep up with.

"Man, please! I'm begging you!" He whine fidgeting with his headphones. Already his brain was thinking of a million different ways to get the candy, and not one of them ended well. Lucy read his face and cracked her neck, preparing to engage in battle. Jimmy held his place.

 **AUTHOR NOTES:**

Hello loves! First, I would like to say thanks so much for reading, this has been an incredibly fun experience so far, and I apologize for taking a little bit longer to update than I thought I would. I was horribly worried I had somehow violated the rules by posting another "interactive" fanfiction after a very kind reader, _catspat31_ , pointed out that posting fanfictions that are interactive is a direct disobedience against the rules. After doing some digging, I discovered she is right. However, there is nothing wrong with the way that I run my fanfics. So let me be perfectly clear when I say this is an interactive fanfiction (this is just a disclaimer, sorry loves):

 _I, thehugbandit, will post music to follow along with every chapter I write so that you, my lovely reader, will get an atmospheric mood of what the setting is like. You WILL have the opportunity to direct message me and discuss music and other songs you'd like to appear in the following chapters._ _NOTE: I DO NOT OWN THE MUSIC OR THE CHARACTERS/UNIVERSE OF ANY OF THESE FANFCITIONS, I HAVE CREATED SPECIFIC CHARACTERS AND FABRICATED A STORY FOR THEM._

 _I, thehugnbandit, will also periodically take polls and ask questions that you the reader have the CHOICE to answer via direct message or comment. This is solely to encourage you to communicate with me and other readers so we have a safe and fun community. I do realize that this is what forums are for, but in the off chance that you want a more structured set-in-stone fanfiction to read and only slightly change course, keep reading._

 _I, thehugbandit, do have a set plot of the fanfiction and will hereby continue this fiction with that in mind. I HAVE, with the permission of the readers, taken select OCs to help with this plot, and they have consented in letting me use their characters, which I do not own._

Thank you again for reading! I would like to at THIS time happily thank a long time friend of mine for being so wonderful and awesome and encouraging. Yes, that's right, _FinalFantasyCrazedGirl01,_ thank you for letting me have Lucy she was an excellent fit for what I needed in this KND fanfiction, and thank you for sticking by my side.

 **SONGS MEANT TO INSPIRE:**

1\. Coleman Hell- 2 Heads

2\. Vance Joy- Georgia

3\. Purity Ring- Begin Again

 **SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, MORE TO COME SOON!**

 **Peace, love, & rules,**

 **-thehugbandit**


	3. Chapter One: Logan Luis- Numbuh 287

**Chapter One: Logan- Numbuh 287**

"Snow! I hate the cold." Jimmy grumbled shoving past the door. He was quick to kick off his shoes and head down the hall to his room, grumbling under his breath how he wished it was summer. Lucy straightened her back, keeping her pale blue eyes fixed forward as she gracefully stepped off the elevator and into the main lobby of the tree house. She briefly looked over her shoulder at me and frowned, but I couldn't focus on her face. My mind was dizzy, wondering a thousand different things all at once.

"Is she here yet?" Lucy, Numbuh 666, asked. And for a split second, I swear I heard genuine concern in her voice. I dropped my head to my wrist and touched the screen of my C.L.O.C.K: Calculating Location of Operating Children and Kids, and sighed.

"The scanner isn't picking her up." I noted. The giant holographic screen was only sensing three bodies in the treehouse, and Ava had fallen off the grid. Lucy nodded, turned on her heels, and marched off without saying another word. I sighed, lingering in the lobby for a bit longer. Waiting.

I couldn't quite shake the last mission. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Ava. I saw her standing there, screaming. Tears cluttered up in those big green eyes, threatening to race down her cheeks at any given moment. She was scared, but there was more to her fear than the mission. It wasn't the first time the delightful brats had kidnapped me, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. So why was she crying?

I pulled the beanie from my head and puffed out steam. I knew why, I wasn't stupid. She was terrified of becoming a teenager. She never said it out loud, but she hinted at it all the time. Heck, just this morning before being kidnapped, she gave me a long exaggerated hug and whispered in my ear: "When we're teenagers, do you think we'll still be friends?"

I didn't say anything. How was I supposed to respond to that? I didn't want to think about it. To think about a future without the KND. And thankfully, I wouldn't have to. Yes, I hated the thought of aging and becoming a teenager, but I was one of the few they handpicked to stay loyal to them. I was one of the few they weren't going to decommission. I was one of the few they wanted to keep as a double agent. But Ava? Her face flashed before my eyes once more. I shuddered. Ava wasn't. If she was, she wouldn't be this freaked out. So no. I had no idea what would happen after they decommissioned her. And I absolutely hated thinking about it.

"WARNING! WARNING! INCOMING MESSAGE! WARNING! WARNING!" Sirens and big flashing red lights flooded the treehouse. I pulled my hat back over my head and raced over to Sector R's broadcasting television and waited for the others to come fumbling in. Lucy, as always, was first. Sporting her trademark black tee-shirt and faded skinny jeans she calmly took her place next to me in the middle. Jimmy was next, and somehow managed to change out of his clothes and into pajamas. He yawned and stretched, rubbing his eyes as he tried to look at the TV. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as the alarms suddenly stopped and the leader buzzed in. Ava was still missing.

"Attention Kids Next Door Operatives." Rachel, Numbuh 362, growled. "This message is intended for the eyes of your Sector's leader only." I didn't move, and neither did Jimmy. Lucy sighed, too tired from the mission to care. "I'm just receiving word we have a traitor in our presence." She frowned. "But there are possibly more- more double agents working among us to bring us down from the inside." Her face hardened. "It's been brought to my attention that the Decomissioner has once again been stolen. Nigel Uno, or better known as Sector V's Numbuh One, has been assigned the task of identifying the traitors who lead to its kidnapping. If your sector is receiving this broadcast, then possibly one of your own has maintained contact with adults and/or teenagers and is suspected of being a double agent. If you have any idea who this may be, I ask you to discretely investigate them and report back to Headquarters immediately. We at KND Headquarters want to nip this problem in the bud without spreading chaos and panic among our operatives." She froze, took a heavy breath, and smiled. "Good luck." The T.V. went dead leaving the three of us standing completely dumbfounded.

"I see why they wanted this to be viewed by the leader only." I joked trying to break the ice. Lucy's frown deepened. She balled both her hands into tight fists and gritted her teeth tightly together.

"It was foolish of me to let you both overhear this. I-I'm a failure." She said staring down at her hands. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"You're not a failure, teach. It's better this team has no secrets. An open relationship among a team is the best way to eliminate any doubt and strengthen trust."

"Yeah, besides, the traitor wasn't here to overhear the message, so we're good." Jimmy piped in. I shot daggers at him with my eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I couldn't help the harshness of my voice. Lucy snapped her head back to the stalky boy in the corner and crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

"Yes, what do you mean?"

"I mean Ava isn't here." Jimmy said simply. "Isn't it obvious? She's the traitor."

"I don't think that's obvious." I said quickly closing the gap between us. Jimmy tensed, sensing my anger, and shot his hands out in front of his body.

"Whoa, there, buddy. I come in peace." He laughed. "Think about it, though. I know the traitor isn't me, because I'm me and why would I give up a good thing? Being a KND operative has always been my dream, and I'm working with the best of the best to further our technology and stupid adults won't help me, so it's not me."

"And?" I hissed.

"AND," Jimmy gulped, unwilling to back down from his previous statement, "I know it's not you or little-miss-no-emotions over there. For one, you're a living legend and are way too loyal for your own good. And she, well, she's a soldier. This is her life."

"So that leaves Numbuh 364." Lucy mused rubbing a frail hand under her chin.

"No way! Tell me you're not buying this crap!" I snapped. "Not you, Lucy! This is Ava we're talkin' about. Ava! She's a saint. She cries over a bug getting squished, you really think she'd have the heart to betray us?"

"It's the perfect cover up, isn't it?" Jimmy continued. "No one would suspect the tender hearted, baby faced teen to be. But that's just it, she's about to become a teen. What is it, two weeks til her birthday?"

"Fifteen days." I hissed through gritted teeth. I could feel my blood boiling. I couldn't believe it. Ava. They really believed Ava could be a double agent. The same girl who just moments ago risked being delightfulized to save me. The same girl who cried after she cut me loose and held me so tightly in her arms. How could they possibly think she'd hurt us?

"Fifteen days." Jimmy's voice shook me back to reality. No longer was he standing in front of me, but he'd taken up pacing the room with his hands folded neatly behind his back. "Ava Valentine becomes a teenager in fifteen days. You know what that means?" Lucy cocked her head off to one side. Jimmy smiled, exposing his cavity infested teeth. He pointed to her excitedly and nodded. "That's right! She'll be decommissioned. So let's look at this logically. Our beloved Ava, who we've caught countless times rescuing both adults AND teenagers from cross-fires, is becoming a teenager herself in a little over two weeks, right?" Lucy nodded, he spun on the balls of his feet and marched down the opposite side of his invisible line. "So, she freaks out. Doesn't want to lose her memories, and steals the machine."

"Except you have no physical evidence, and Ava would never do that." I reasoned. "Come on, Lucy, be logical about this."

She straightened her back and shook out her bone straight blonde hair.

"That's what I'm doing is being reasonable." Jimmy said. "But look at the facts, man. When Chad was busted a year and a half ago trying to lie about his birthday, who rushed to his defense?" My heart sank. I licked my lips nervously. He had me and he knew it. Jimmy raised his brows and smirked. "That's right, Ava did. And Ava continues to defend his actions to this day."

"That doesn't mean anything!" I tried, my voice cracked. I touched my throat. "Lucy, come on. You know Ava. She won't do this."

Lucy couldn't keep my gaze. She gracefully looked away and sighed. "I believe an investigation is warranted." There was very little reluctance in her voice. I turned back to Jimmy and shook my head. The smug expression on his face made me want to punch him really, really hard in the gut.

"Unbelievable." I wheezed. "As in I actually can't believe this is happening. Ava wouldn't do this."

"But what proof do you have?" Lucy asked placing a hand on my shoulder. "This investigation will either prove her innocence or guilt. Either way, we'll have a definitive answer."

"You will." I said breaking away from her grip. "But I won't be a part of it."

With my words hanging heavy in the air, I turned and raced away. I ran as fast as I could for the stairs, opting not to take the elevator, Jimmy would just shut it down.

One foot in front of the other, I hurried down stair after stair losing track of how many I climbed down with each second. All I could think about was getting away, far away, and finding Ava. What came after would be up to her. Up to us.

After an eternity, I busted out of the front door of the treehouse. Still in an adrenaline infested frenzy, I kept running. Blinking away any traces of tears that might be hiding in my eyes. Unfortunately, my cloudy vision proved to be a curse. My body collided with something hard, and gravity sent us both crashing to the ground landing heavily in a cushy soft blanket of fresh snow. I propped myself up with my arms and stared down at what-or who- I had made contact with, and my face went beet red.

"Fancy meeting you here like this." Ava smiled up at me. "Sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything?"

"I-uh-" Her face dropped at my words. She sat up, gently pushing me off her as she did so.

"Logan, what's wrong?" She asked. I shook my head no. She pushed out her already pouty bottom lip further. "Logan, we're best friends. Tell me."

"There's a mole." I murmured.

"A mole?" She repeated. I nodded.

"The team thinks it you."

There was a beat of silence before she broke out in uncontrollable laughter. I stared at the girl covered in snow completely confused. I had just told her our team thought she was the enemy and she was laughing. Great. She'd totally lost her marbles.

"Me. A. Spy?" She asked through breaths. "That's. Hilarious!"

"Cut it out." I frowned tossing a heap of snow at her. She shook her head, crying from laughter.

"I can't! It's just so funny! I can totally see it! I hang out with Casey, my sixTEEN year old sister all the time! I love my parents. I save adults every chance I get. It makes sense."

She was an out of control hyena, just sitting back in the snow laughing her butt off. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to join her, or shake her back to reality so I just sat there in the snow, staring at her, wondering how and why she was in such good spirits. And after minute, she was forced to stop. No more air in her lungs, no more tears, she sighed and smiled.

"So I take it you didn't believe them?" She asked, finally feeling the gravity of the situation. I shook my head no. She nodded. "I can always count on you, huh?"

Without waiting for me to respond, she reached for my hand and curled her fingers into my palm. Her touch was ice cold, but somehow I felt warm and I couldn't help but smile.

"I trust you." I said squeezing her hand. "I believe you- believe that you would never betray us."

Smoke swirled from her lips as she exhaled slowly and pulled away. She bit her lips, a nervous habit she'd had since before I'd even met her, then dropped her gaze, breaking eye contact.

"Logan," oh no, her voice was low. Something was up, "Logan, I have something to show you. You're not going to believe it, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Hey, guys! I'll keep this short and simple. The next couple of chapters will be told by different members of the team so you can get a feel for what's happening behind the scene and I can get a feel for their personalities; but after that the story will be exclusively told by Ava. This just keeps things easier for everyone. Less confusing, if you know what I mean. However, if you like the story being told from a specific character, let me know and I might dedicate a couple of chapters told from their perspective. You know, seeing how I feel. Anyways, don't be a silent reader! Comment! Comment! Comment! It's up to you to keep this story alive.

 **SONGS MEANT TO INSPIRE:**

1\. "Follow"- Crystal Fighters

2\. "Lifeline"- Imogen Heap

3\. "Holding Onto You"- 21 Pilots


	4. Chapter Two: Lucy- Numbuh 666

**Chapter Two: Lucy- Numbuh 666**

My mind was wild. In all my training, in all my years, I'd never been this dizzy with emotions. It made my stomach feel so strange. So bizarre. So sick. I couldn't concentrate on the blank TV screen dimly gleaming back at me. I couldn't focus on the stack of papers dully laying on the desk, and I certainly couldn't fix any amount of attention on Numbuh 962, Jimmy, sneaking around the house looking for any sweets he could get his grubby little hands on.

I sighed heavily to myself and flopped down in my chair, still keeping a tight eye on the monitor I knew would never flip back on. Connecting the tips of my fingers together to form a pyramid, I narrow my gaze and tried cooling my nerves. But all I could see was his face. Logan's perfect, stern, angry face. Every time I closed my eyes all that waited me was his gritted teeth and angry clouded blue eyes. Why? Why did I care so much about him? How did he tie my stomach into knots and make my brain go foggy and then blank? How did he hold this power over me? Was some sort of experimental technology Numbuh 962 came up with, or-

I slammed my fists onto the desk. The stacks of papers jumped with the sudden force, and my whole body quivered with the only true emotion I could ever feel: rage. I would not let my training go to waste. I couldn't allow whatever curse Logan had on me interfere with the mission HQ had given me. I had to be careful with how I investigated Numbuh 364. I couldn't let her know I had any doubts about her but Logan, Numbuh 287, would find a way to warn her. I didn't understand their connection, but I knew it was strong enough for him to want to warn her at any risk, even being decommissioned himself.

Something started stirring in my stomach. Like a virus, it grew. Red hot heat flooded my system, using my veins to carry the fire through my body. I had only ever read about this emotion, but I knew I had rightfully identified it. Jealousy. But why would I, the great 666, ever feel any sort of envy for the clumsy, careless, dimwitted 364? She had nothing on me. Her soft features paled in compassion to my sharp distinct look. My symmetry overpowered her sloppy demeanor. She was nothing. Never attempting leadership, always crying. So why- why would he sacrifice everything just to give her a fighting chance? Numbuh 962 had perfectly laid out the evidence, she cared for adults and teens just as much as she cared about us. Her allegiance was spotty at best. Surely Numbuh 287 could see that, surely he saw our doubt- so why? Why blindly defend her? It was illogical. All of it!

"Boss?" I didn't allow myself to get angry at the chocolate smeared across Numbuh 962's darkened face. His deep gray eyes were wide, the hyperactivity kicking in, but he approached me calmly. I shook my hair back into place and forced a kind smile back at him.

"Yes, love." I breathed. He raised a brow.

"Have they come back yet?" He asked, but all I could do was frown. He nodded tugging at the oversized headphones on his neck and sighed. "Do you think they'll come back?" He asked. "Or do you think they're rogue?"

"Rogue?" I mouthed, honestly the thought had never even occurred to me. Numbuh 287 was stupid, but he wasn't clueless enough to take Numbuh 364 and run. No, he'd be back. More than possibly forcing the KND to attack them, he'd want to clear her name by any necessary and he'd want us to help him. He would be back, he would be back with her.

"You never told me." Numbuh 962 slowly closed the gap between us. His natty hair was hidden neatly under a sleeping cap, and he hugged a chocolate covered bear close to his chest as he prepared for the next sentence. "Do you personally believe HQ has their information right? Do you think Ava could be a double agent?"

"It's possible." I said keeping my voice clear of any emotion. "Head Quarters is usually pretty thorough."

Again he nodded, as if reasoning with himself, and a pinch of guilt brushed across his harsh gray eyes. I straightened my back and stared at him. There was something more. Doubt.

"I don't know if HQ had their Intel right." He started. "You see, I hacked the system and something isn't right. Almost like someone was targeting Ava specifically. Someone purposefully leaked footage of Ava saving teens and adults to HQ. I think Logan may have been onto something."

"That changes nothing." I said turning my back to him. "They had their suspicions, and it appears they were right."

"What?" The confusion was clear in his voice. I could feel him stumbling backwards and resisted the urge to look at him.

"I didn't stutter, Numbuh 962, Headquarters had their suspicions. It is our job to investigate and report back."

"But this could be a setup!" He blurted. "Don't you get it?"

"I'm sorry, Numbuh 962, are you talking back to me?"

"Yes! Yes I am!" He growled. I snapped my body sharply back to him. The stout little man stood on his tip-toes in a vain effort to reach my height.

"I'm sorry, Numbuh 962, weren't you the one who assumed that Numbuh 364 was the one who was the double agent? Didn't you insist, a mere hour ago, that she deserved to be investigated even after Numbuh 287 suggested she wasn't?"

"Yes, but-"

"Yes, but nothing." I cut. "Nothing has changed."

I spun back around, organizing the stack of papers scattered across my desk. Numbuh 962 was huffing and puffing, clearly annoyed by my lack of understanding. After a beat, he kicked at the ground and growled, "you witch," then left. I shook my head, confused. I was no witch. Not like Logan, Numbuh 287. I was a firm leader. A good leader. And he was a loose cannon.

I didn't understand the KND. They were reckless, rowdy, rough, and childish. Adults were goofy, unorganized, and cocky. It appeared I didn't fit in anywhere. I wasn't an adult, and I clearly wasn't a child. I was soldier without a cause, and no family to call my own.

 _"But you're beautiful."_ Numbuh 287 would say. I smiled at his words, closing my eyes to get lost in the memory of two years ago, when I first joined the KND. _"You don't need to be tough all the time. Let loose. Be yourself."_

 _"Myself?" I mutter back to him. He laughed placing a hand on my shoulder. He was so tall. A good leader, I was sure. HQ leader, Chad, looked back at me and grinned._

 _"Meet Logan Luis of Sector R, Lucy. He'll be in charge of you." Chad informed me. I looked back at Logan and frowned._

 _"What's that?" He laughed. "There's no frowning in Sector R."_

 _"R for righteous!" A very young boy with wild dreads and giant headphones said doing a funny hand sign._

 _"I know he looks young," Logan whisper, "and that's because he is. He's only seven, but the kid's got some mad hacking skills."_

 _"Mad?" I repeated. Logan cut a look to Chad who shrugged._

 _"We found her hooked up to a giant machine in some government building. She doesn't really understand slang. You'll have to work on her." He explained coolly. "Well, we've gotta go. You've got it from here, right?"_

 _"Chad, wait!" A little girl in a loose dress came running by with a big yellow present in hand. "Happy birthday." She smiled gently placing the present in his hands. The tall blonde boy with big blue eyes stared down at her kindly and gently rustled her mousy brown hair._

 _"You remembered?" He asked looking at the gift. She blushed and stared at her bare feet._

 _"Of course I remembered." She muttered under her breath. "But I don't want to keep you. You've got work to do." She paused, looked at me, and smiled bigger offering up her hand. "I heard your name was Lucy." She stated kindly. "Come with me, I'll show you around. I've been working all day to get things together. We'll have so much fun!"_

 _I hesitated, but Chad and Logan both gave me the same warm smile, so I took her hand and let her pull me inside. I listened as she talked, to both the conversation happening at the door and the new girl showing me around. Logan was kind to Chad, and told him he was excited to work with me. He kept commenting on my looks, telling him how lovely I was. It was the first time someone had said how kind I was. And I couldn't shake that feeling. The feeling of joy._

I stared at the ceiling, still feeling the warmth of that day all those years ago. How times have changed. Chad, now a traitor. And Ava, too. I wanted to believe Logan was still the leader I knew him to be, but it'd been hours since he'd raced out and I hadn't heard from him or 364 since.

My room was dark. Black walls, black floor, black ceiling. And I laid perfectly still, waiting for something. For my brain to unscramble and become clear. For 962 to stop looking for candy. For 287 to come back with new evidence of 364's innocence. But what were the chances of that? What, really, were the chances she was innocent? Numbuh 1 was a living legend. He made no mistakes. Something was up. But what?

I rolled over onto my side and stared out the window. Through the piles of snow, I could spy two silhouettes carefully making their way back to the tree house. As they got closer, I could see 364 in her trademark oversized dress, and 287 in his old gray beanie. I watched as they grew larger, talking seriously with every closing minute. And then, my eyes spotted something truly amazing. A tiny yellow present.

"Chad." I spoke aloud. And suddenly, everything was clear. There was more than one traitor on this team.


End file.
